How would this work with Advanced Deficit Spending, though, since that money is acquired before Trade with the WYN can be conducted.

By Joe Stevenson (Ikv_Sabre) on Sunday, July 07, 2024 - 10:12 pm: Edit

This has probably been discussed before, but I haven't been around much, so apologies if this has been discussed to death.

Do we have a marine ship that has fighters? I'm thinking something similar to the LPH or LHD types of ships in the US Navy.

Do we have such a beast?

By Chuck Strong (Raider) on Sunday, July 07, 2024 - 11:05 pm: Edit

The only G/V ships that I am aware of in F&E are those operated by the Hydrans with G and casual fighters.

Any proposed marine/fighter assault ships would have to come out of SFB side of the SFU.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Monday, July 08, 2024 - 12:55 am: Edit

It has been discussed, several times.

Best advice is avoid any discussion of the failed A-7 assault fighter.

Dead horse, but it always seems to get in the way because there is always someone who hasn’t heard of the demise, and still thinks there is a chance “if only” it was presented right.

The general approach hasn't been tried AFAICR… and that would be to present a already published ship such as the GSC/CVL/COM operating a squadron of GAS (ground assault shuttles).

Not very good substitutes for fighters admittedly, but I suspect it would do well in the CAS (close air support) role.

By Charles W Popp (Captnchuck67) on Thursday, July 11, 2024 - 09:02 am: Edit

Is the 4X expansion rules still a thing for the future?

By Lawrence Bergen (Lar) on Friday, July 12, 2024 - 12:54 pm: Edit

Other than the Hydrans.

Modular ships mainly the HDW's and the Romulan DMH with a troop Module and carrier modules or vice versa.

Troop/Carrier pods on Tugs is the other way I know to get there, Joe.

By Chuck Strong (Raider) on Saturday, July 13, 2024 - 06:13 am: Edit

Such a ship would seem to be in conflict with their intended missions; where carriers are screened and protected to launch and recover fighters and troop ships that press forward into harms way to deliver troops to the mission site.

By Gary Carney (Nerroth) on Saturday, July 13, 2024 - 02:54 pm: Edit

In Star Fleet Marines terms, the ground bombardment shuttle is considered to be broadly equivalent to a present-day helicopter gunship.

Meanwhile, in Star Fleet Battles, the Gorns might have something of a head-start, in terms of configuring one of their carriers for ground combat missions.

For example: beyond its squadron of 12 size-1 fighters and flotilla of six PFs, a Gorn SCS has six admin shuttles and two GAS shuttles as standard, along with 24 Marine squads - which can be bolstered in number through the use of Commander's Options. Although it is a bit short on transporters.

Still, it would be possible in SFB terms to, say, swap out half of the fighters - and a few of the admin shuttles also - for a mix of GAS and GBS shuttles, as well as to deploy one or more PFGs (along with their respective batches of 10 Marine squads) in the gunboat flotilla. All without having to modify the SSD.

Their "lost empire" Paravian rivals could do something similar; indeed, their base SCS hull has 30 Marine squads as standard. Although, Size Class 2 Paravian ships can't land on planets the way their smaller counterparts are able to.

Although, if you wanted a Size Class 3 ship which mixed elements of a carrier with those of a commando ship, the Paravians can land a battle control ship on a planetary surface - where they can deploy their Marines at a much faster rate than they can from orbit.

Alternatively, there is the case of the Seltorians. In principle, it would be possible to swap out the mercenary fighters on their carriers with GAS and GBS shuttles - so even if the Klingons (or some other host empire) for some reason held back from offering attrition unit support, the Selts could still leverage a "carrier" hull as a force multiplier against enemy-held planets.

So, if there was a reason to deploy a unit (or units) that acted as de facto commando/carrier vessels in F&E, without going as far as to cook up a set of dedicated SFB SSDs beforehand, there might be a handful of cases where this could be done.

By Alan De Salvio (Alandwork) on Monday, July 15, 2024 - 02:39 pm: Edit

F&E already has this - you buy extra G's for your battleforce.

By Bill Powell (Bleedingbill) on Monday, August 19, 2024 - 08:36 pm: Edit

Hello there. A friend and myself are about to start a new F&E game and have had a couple of questions pop up, so here it goes.

435.23 notes that ships carrying EPs cannot enter a hex containing enemy ships. As I understand this rule it means that a ship carrying EPs (by ships I mean FFTs, Tugs, convoys, ect.) cannot enter a hex containing enemy ships even when the player who owns the transports has friendly ships in the hex counter-pinning the enemy ships. Is this correct?

Next question deals with strategic movement.

204.22 states "that the moving unit can never enter a hex containing enemy units or which is adjacent to a hex containing enemy units (not merely ships) except as provided below.

does this mean that a single enemy unit could block a fleet from using an adjacent hex as part of their strategic movement route, or would normal pinning rules from rule 203.5 be in effect.

By Sam Benner (Nucaranlaeg) on Monday, August 19, 2024 - 10:42 pm: Edit

Your understanding of 435.23 is correct. Yes, a single uncrippled ship blocks any number of ships from using adjacent hexes in their supply route (subject to some exceptions - if there's a base there and more friendly ships in the hex than enemy ships adjacent, IIRC).

By Bill Powell (Bleedingbill) on Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - 05:47 pm: Edit

I have another question that deals with strategic movement.

204.22 states "that the moving unit can never enter a hex containing enemy units or which is adjacent to a hex containing enemy units (not merely ships) except as provided below.

does this mean that a single enemy unit could block a fleet from using an adjacent hex as part of their strategic movement route, or would normal pinning rules from rule 203.5 be in effect.

By Bill Powell (Bleedingbill) on Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - 05:48 pm: Edit

I appreciate your help on my question Nucaranlaeg

By William Jockusch (Verybadcat) on Tuesday, August 27, 2024 - 10:54 pm: Edit

The SIT says an E3 has a crippled strength of 1-2. The CB counter says it is 1. Which is correct?

This matters for repair cost and scrap value, as well as for the cost to kill an E3 with dirdam.

By Ryan Opel (Ryan) on Tuesday, August 27, 2024 - 11:31 pm: Edit

What does the real counter say?

By Ryan Opel (Ryan) on Tuesday, August 27, 2024 - 11:33 pm: Edit

Back side of the REAL counter says 2.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Monday, October 21, 2024 - 01:29 pm: Edit

Shock horror gasp - might get to play a short Scenario Face to Face this weekend and it's a while since I played F2F (I am going to say 20 years+).

Will only be using just the Basic 2010 Rules (and the 2.5% Damage Chart) as the two others players have never played it before.

Two questions

1) Which Counter Sheet/Rules Set re-printed all the half factor Fighter Ships (Kzinti CVL and Hydran Cruisers primarily)?

2) If you don't have those counters - I'll have to use the old Counters - so do peope give either side a slight boost to offset the different values?

Hydrans are almost certainly a wash, RN's gained, other Cruisers lost etc - or close enough to be minor, Kzinti in theory do lose out slightly , as 5 x CVL to 5 x CV conversions would save 5 Ep's and 2 CVL in a line would gain 1 Compot.

(As I doubt the Kzinti will be building any new CVLs, the higher build cost is not relevant)

Hydrans can pay the old Ep costs, so that resolves that SIT issue also.

I do have the individual Carrier and Escort Counters (whether that is enough, we shall see - but as we will be just playing the 6 turn start of the War scenrio - that should limit the number of Carriers appearing!!

Thanks

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Thursday, October 24, 2024 - 12:48 pm: Edit

Well, can't find any of the half fighter counters - so will use the old ones and old stats for simplicity.

Produced a simple 2 page summary of the rules - and I never noticed someting before.

The Kzinti FF can use the DWL leader bonus!!!

Not sure if it physcially possible (joke!) to have 3 x Kz-FF's in the same battle line - there never is enough to go around, but we shall see.

Any suggestions on giving one side or the other side a boost to offset the slightly lower compot of some Alliance Ships which gained with Half Fighter values??

By Ryan Opel (Ryan) on Thursday, October 24, 2024 - 10:45 pm: Edit

Some gained, some lost. It's a wash in the long run.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Sunday, November 03, 2024 - 11:30 am: Edit

Not sure if 'my suggest' was good, OK or terrible.

Situation is 5 Rounds of combat over 1401 has been done.

SB has5 SIDS.

Coalition Compot for Round 6 is 97 - Alliance is 180 (which includes 12 points of Drone, Round 5 was about 105 (Coaltiion started at 137 IIRC) v 180).

As it is, SB could be fully repaired by the SB and FRD - and repair a few other ships.

What do you do?

1) Stay and go for the 6th, 7th and 8th SID (gut feeing they would have got to 7 and ran out of ships able to get enough compot to give a 50/50 chance of the 8th SID - 3 x DN, 3 x CL, 5 x DD and 2 x F5 is 89 - it might haae only been 1 to 3 DN's left though .....).

2) Run

3) Stay a 6th Round and kill the FRD (o I can't fully repair the SB + Extra Hulls).


I felt option 3 was best for the Coalition - and thy was able to burn up most of their fighters (and I was unable too).

Thoughts?

By Jason E. Schaff (Jschaff297061) on Sunday, November 03, 2024 - 01:13 pm: Edit

IIRC, FRDs can't repair a SB. Only tugs and the base itself can do that.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Sunday, November 03, 2024 - 01:31 pm: Edit

I can't see anything to stop a FRD repairing an uncrippled Base...

....but the SB could repair 4 SID's itself and it would allow the FRD to repair afew ships.

No FRD means the SB probably does 2 or 3 SID repairs and the rest goes on Ships.

(I think the Coalition probably can juast swamp 1401 on turn 5 so the extra ships would be useful).

By Mike Erickson (Mike_Erickson) on Sunday, November 03, 2024 - 01:42 pm: Edit

(420.63) UNABLE TO REPAIR BASES: Repair ships and FRDs cannot repair bases.

--Mike

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Sunday, November 03, 2024 - 03:13 pm: Edit

Thanks - 're-missed' that (while since I have played).

Well, 4-6 ships not repaired - which may or may not be relevant - if I want to repaid 4 SIDS.

So, accepting the FRD can't repair the base - was staying the 6th Round good or bad?

By Stewart Frazier (Frazikar3) on Sunday, November 03, 2024 - 11:29 pm: Edit

SBs can repair up to 4 SIDS (4 per SIDS) at 0.5 EP per repair, TGs can repair up to 2 SIDS at 1 EP per SIDS …